h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Great entry, I used to live on the Wirral and whilst there I walked through the Birkenhead Tunnel. The tunnel was shut to traffic for the day (a Sunday, 1992 if I remember rightly) and 1000's of people walked through from Liverpool to Birkenhead to raise money for umpteen different charities. It was a good day.

Additional info about the tunnels....when the tunnels were originately built, the toll charge was to continue until the tunnels were payed for, 30 - 40 years on and the toll is still there and is now more expensive than Dartford Tunnel, London!! (£1.20 and £1 respectively).

Maintenance?

I used to live on the Wirral too
Good entry.

Maintenance is a good reason for the continuation of the toll charge, but how come it is more expensive than Dartford. Surely the volume of traffic going through Dartford Tunnel is higher than that of any of the Wirral Tunnels. So by that reasoning, the maintenance costs of Dartford should be higher.... So why isn't it?

Because for years the money wasn't been put back into the tunnel, the operators scarpered with it. The tolls are paid on the Wirral side, as the monks at Birkenhead Priory 'created' the first ferry service, rowing people over the river.
Recently Liverpool council have managed to use the tunnels as sercurity of some transport plans they have for Liverpool, as ever the councillors for the Wirral bottled it, and abstained from the vote.